The All Blacks' hooker stocks are being stretched to the limit after Nathan Harris was ruled out of Saturday night's Rugby Championship showdown with the Wallabies with a season-ending knee injury.
In the latest setback to hit the world champions, Harris tore his ACL on Thursday, forcing coach Steve Hansen to back track and call up regular hooker Dane Coles on the bench.
Five-Test rookie Codie Taylor will start at ANZ Stadium, but Coles may well be called on despite Hansen on Thursday saying the 2015 World Cup winner was never going to be picked as he recovers from his own rib injury. Hansen said Coles had only travelled with the squad to Sydney to receive treatment after being hurt while leading the Hurricanes to their maiden Super Rugby title this month. But with Harris out, the coach had no alternative on Friday but to call on his first-choice rake.
"If something happened in the first minute (to Taylor), he (Coles) will get the 80, no problem," Hansen said at the All Blacks' captain's run.
"I mean, the reason we didn't play him was because of the type of injury he's got, they tend to niggle on.